Students With Autism—College Scholarships Opportunities From A to Z

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Students With Autism—College Scholarships Programs You Can Apply For

A college education is generally expensive, but it can cost even more for students on the autism spectrum because they have to pay for caregiving outside the classroom. Fortunately, there are numerous scholarships and grants for students with various disabilities, including those with autism or Asperger’s.

Have you been diagnosed with autism? College scholarships can be challenging to find, but these programs can make your education less worrisome. This guide will show you how to find the best scholarships for students with autism in less than five minutes.

The Best College Scholarships for Students With Autism

Different government agencies, charity foundations, and advocacy groups provide financial aid to students living with autism. Some also provide scholarships to siblings of someone with autism—such as the Siblings of Autism and the Autism Society—because they know that this disability affects everyone in the family.

To qualify for most autism college scholarships, you need to:

  1. Have a diagnosis from a licensed physician
  2. Enroll in a post-secondary institution
  3. Advocate for rights of students living with disabilities

Here’s a list of the best scholarships for autistic students to get you started:

  1. The Matthew Paul Finnigan Memorial Scholarship Fund
  2. Autism Delaware Scholarships
  3. Avonte Oquendo Memorial Scholarship
  4. Kelly Law Team Autism Scholarship
  5. KFM Making a Difference scholarship
  6. The Schwallie Family Scholarship

The Matthew Paul Finnigan Memorial Scholarship Fund

The scholarship was created in memory of Matthew Finnigan—a high-performing autistic person. The eligibility requirements for the program are as follows:

  • Valid medical autism diagnosis
  • Acceptance letter for a post-secondary institution or proof of continuing with higher education at a particular institution

Autism Delaware Scholarships

Autism Delaware provides two college scholarships for students living with autism. Consult the table to find out more:

Autism Delaware ScholarshipWho Is It For?Scholarship Amount
Daniel and Lois Gray Memorial ScholarshipsStudents enrolled at the University of Delaware$1,000
Adult with Autism ScholarshipAdult students who are pursuing a college degree and are residents of the state of Delaware$1,000

Avonte Oquendo Memorial Scholarship

The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C awards $5,000 to undergraduate students living with any form of autism, including Asperger syndrome. Close family members of someone with autism can also apply.

Kelly Law Team Autism Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship program is tailored to students across the entire autism spectrum. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and planning to enroll in a post-secondary institution.

KFM Making a Difference scholarship

The $500 scholarship is meant for American and international students who are joining or are already in college.

The Schwallie Family Scholarship

The scholarship offered by the Organization for Autism Research (AOR) awards students who will be enrolled at an accredited higher learning institution in the United States. Applicants who have previously benefited from AOR programs or those whose family members are in the OAR’s Board of Directors or Scientific Council cannot apply for the award.

How To Find Scholarships for Students With Autism

To find all the available scholarships dedicated to students with autism, you can:

  • File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to find the federal aid you can get based on your financial situation
  • Check with local autism or disability advocacy groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations, and other institutions. For instance, if you are in California, you can check the Autism Society of California
  • Find the programs offered by your state education agencies
  • Visit the financial aid office of your prospective school
  • Look for opportunities designed for people of certain religions, such as Muslims or Christians
  • Find any programs offered by your parent’s employer
  • Search online using scholarship search engines

All these approaches can help you find college scholarships for students with autism that suit your interests, but there is an easier and faster way. In less than five minutes, DoNotPay can help you discover all the scholarships for students with autism for which you are eligible. Just and give us all the relevant information by answering a few questions.

How To Apply for College Scholarships for Autistic Students

Every scholarship program has its own application procedure. Most programs use online scholarship application systems and require applicants to submit the following:

You should review the application requirements and prepare all the required paperwork on time. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline.

The Easiest Way To Find College Scholarships for People With Autism—Use DoNotPay

Do not let the exhausting scholarship search process keep you from getting the financial aid that you need. With DoNotPay, you will get a list of all the scholarships and grants that you qualify for in one place. You will never waste time or miss a scholarship opportunity with DoNotPay. All you have to do is:

  1. Find the Apply for Scholarships tool
  2. Answer a few questions about your education level and academic interests

That's it! You can start applying for scholarships right away. To speed up the process, you can authorize DoNotPay to automatically send your applications for the no-essay scholarships.

Anyone can use DoNotPay to find scholarships, regardless of the level of study (e.g., high school seniors and graduate school students) and the demographic group they belong to (veterans, women, etc.).

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